A hydraulic brake system for a bicycle typically includes a hydraulic brake actuation device, a rotor attached to a wheel of the bicycle and a brake caliper operatively connected to the brake actuation device. The caliper is responsive to changes in hydraulic pressure generated by the brake actuation device to urge brake pads into contact with the rotor and effect braking.
When the brake actuation device is initially actuated, no braking forces are generated because a gap must be closed between the brake pads and the rotor. Typical hydraulic brake systems that have a linear rate of travel of the piston relative to the travel of the lever blade require an undesirable amount of lever travel before braking occurs, i.e., a significant amount of “dead band.”Most hydraulic brake systems do not address dead band and changes in dead band from pad wear, and except for set-up procedures, there have been few efforts to develop mechanisms that are adjustable to provide a minimal gap and without affecting the rate of travel of the piston relative to the brake lever. Furthermore, especially in systems with a variable rate of travel of the brake system piston relative to the lever travel, it would be desirable to adjust the dead band without affecting the performance of the system related to the variable rate of the brake system.
There is a demand, therefore, to minimize dead band without the number of parts, weight and the expense of a complicated mechanism, and without degrading brake performance. The invention satisfies the demand with the additional benefits of lighter weight and reduced manufacturing cost.